Today
I would like to share with seven very important lessons I learned from the
Philae Lander that are key to be highly successful. Before doing so, please allow
me to provide an update on the 2Nd Holiday Season Food Drive, an
initiative I started in 2013 in order to complete my High Performance
Leadership Project for the prestigious Distinguished Toastmasters Award from
Toastmasters International. As previously stated the goal for this year is collect
at least 3,000 pounds of non-perishable food items for the benefit of the
Salvation Army of Brampton. Support for the 2Nd Annual Holiday
Season Food Drive is growing. I have had donations from Bolton Banter, Speak To
Inspire, COMET, TD Creekside and City Centre. Thanks to Judy Martin from Give
and Go in Etobicoke, and Amparo Cifuentes and Diana Gibb of Loblaw in
Mississauga for their tremendous support. On Saturday December 6th,
I will be guest speaker at two events in Mississauga specifically the Open
House for Lambs to Lions at the Mississauga Main Library and in the evening I
will be attending Trillium’s annual dinner.
Have
you heard about the Philae? It is the European Space Agency lander that was launched from French Guiana on 2 March
2004 on the Rosetta spacecraft. Its mission was to reach Comet
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Amazingly on 12 November 2014, after traveling for 3,907
days (10.7 years) through space, tracking and following a comet the Philae lander
achieved the first-ever controlled touchdown on a comer nucleus.
Equally stunning, the Philae’s science
instruments functioned properly and immediately went to work on the comet. I
transmitted important data and amazing photographs that will be analysed to
determine the composition of the comet’s surface. This is a remarkable
scientific and technological accomplishment for mankind.
Yes, I know some people will argue why are we
spending billions exploring our universe when there are for example a 1.5
million children in Canada going to school hunger or 840,000 Canadians using
food banks monthly. I don’t have a perfect answer to such question other than I
believe the knowledge we gain will help us to better understand space. It will
even help us better understand the earth and its environmental challenges.
Think also about the significant contribution to science, medicine and
technology. This will help us to make the lives of millions people around the
world better. I am pro-space exploration and I do understand the concerns of those
opposing it.
I
cheered when hear the news of Philae landing on a comet. Accompanying this monumental
feat was some disappointments. Philae 's mission was to land successfully on
the surface of a comet, attach itself, and transmit data from the surface about
the comet's composition. As this is the first landing of a man-made spacecraft on a comet I can only
imagine that this was a tremendously difficult task. Therefore we should not be
surprised that not everything went according to plan. Two instruments that were
vital to Philae landing optimally on the comet itself did not work properly. They
are:
- The
descent thrusters did not fire, failing to bind the spacecraft to the comet,
preventing a recoil from the impact generated by the downwards pull of the
comet’s gravity.
- The
harpoons that were supposed to fire upon touch-down, anchoring the probe into
the comet’s surface, also failed to fire.
Unfortunately,
the double equipment failure led to the Philae landing much harder on the comet
than anticipated, bouncing many kilometers off course, and coming to rest in a
place that was never anticipated. Its eventual resting place came to be against
a crater wall, where it receives only a quarter of the sunlight necessary to
sufficiently charge it.
On 15
November 2014 Philae fell silent after transmitting science data. Based on
where Philae landed, it is unlikely that we will ever hear from it to find the
answers to some important scientific questions. We should be proud of the
accomplishment of ESA. As Stephan Ulamec, German Aerospace Center’s (DLR’s) lander
manager said “This machine performed magnificently under tough conditions, and
we can be fully proud of the incredible scientific success Philae has delivered”.
What
important lessons can we learn from the success of the Philae? Here are seven lessons
I have taken from the Philae to be highly successful.
1. Success requires meticulous planning
Here we are coming to the end of 2014. What were your goals
for 2014? What have you accomplished? What would you like to accomplish in
2015?
At the start of 2014, one of my goals was to receive the prestigious
Distinguished Toastmasters Award from Toastmasters International. Mission
accomplished! I also wanted to solidify my place as a professional speaker.
Mission accomplished!
How many times have you heard that nothing will be
accomplished without a plan? Imagine this more than 10 years ago a spacecraft
was launched. The goal of the Rosetta mission was to land the Philae on a comet
in order to conduct long-term monitoring of the comet. This included seeing
from the surface how the comet releases gas and dust, what volatiles and/or
organics are expelled, what types of materials lie beneath the surface in the
comet’s core, and geologically what accounts for its low density: whether
there’s porous ice in there, whether the landing region is representative of
the rest of the comet, or whether there’s another perhaps more surprising
explanation. The planning for the Rosetta mission started more than 10 years
ago. It entailed meticulous planning from the very beginning up to the
execution of its landing and eventual extracting of scientific data.
As 2014 is coming to end, revisit the goals you had at the
start of the year. Tap yourself on the shoulder for the goals you accomplished
and then formulate a plan to accomplish your other goals.
2. Success requires patience, diligence and focus
Rosetta hibernated in interplanetary space for more than 10
years. The question, during all this time what were the scientists at the ESA
doing? I am sure some lost hope. I am sure some showed very little interest,
enthusiasm and optimist. And then there were those scientists who kept hope and
were truly enthusiastic. They were always inspired and motivated. They firmly
believed that one day they would hear from the Rosetta and the Philae. They
were patient. They remained diligent and focused. They were always ready. They
likely motivated and inspired others while being bombarded by doubters and
naysayers. Nevertheless they kept hopeful.
Success does not come overnight. For the Rosetta to launch
Philae, the mission took more than 10 years. It is such a monumental
accomplishment that it has caught the attention of even a non-scientist like me.
Success and greatness requires patience, diligence and focus not haste.
The ESA’s scientists who remained patient, diligent and focus
were ready when the Philae’s two key landing instruments did not work properly.
Shortly after the Philae landed in a crater barring its batteries from recharging
from the sunlight these scientists attempted to use the robotic legs to orient
the solar panels to better point towards the sun. This was a maneuver that may
one day give us another chance that Philae could get a new lease on life, and
possibly meet the full suite of its designed scientific goals. Other great
decision that Philae’s operators made was that, given the results of the
landing, they simply decided to collect as much data from the functioning
scientific instruments as possible in the limited amount of time they had
power.
3. Success involves challenges and setbacks
An important lesson or insight gain from the Philae is that
the path to success involves challenges and setbacks. Imagine all the
excitement of the ESA team when Rosetta woke up after more than two years of
hibernation, that is nearly completely shut off and silent in the cold
distances of the solar system. A crazy dream or idea appeared closer to being a
reality. I know you have all had similar experiences….just think about that
difficult math question that you finally nailed after countless attempt…..or
think about when you final got your stone to bounce or skip twice when you threw
it on the surface of the water in the lake…..think about when your first born
attempted to take his or her first step…..It is an awesome feeling.
However, the path to success is riddled with challenges and
setbacks. As noted early two important instruments that were key to the Philae
landing did not function properly. Consequently, the Philae did not land at its
target site but rather in a crater away from the sun. Can you imagine how gut wrenching
this must have felt for the team at the ESA? Have you ever had that feeling
where you know you almost nailed that math question or almost got your stone to
skip in the water? It is a mixed feeling. It is one where you may be a little
happy and little sad at the same time. Depending on your personality….you may
just be slightly happier than you are sad or vice versa.
Here is the deal. In your quest to accomplish your dreams or
goals the important thing is to recognise there will always be challenges and
setbacks. The key thing is to learn from those experiences. Don’t be broken or
disheartened. Remain focus. As disappointed as the team at the ESA were, they
did their best to reposition the Philae solar panels robotically and maybe one
day again in the future we may all hear from Philae. Even more importantly the
team was able to collect some data and photographs for analysis.
The landing of Philae on a comet is a monumental
accomplishment deserving of all the attention and excitement generated. The
highest commendation is in order for the team at ESA. For me the key take away
is that success involves challenges and setbacks. How do you respond to challenges and setbacks?
4. Success sometimes requires crazy or impossible dreams
and ideas
To be successful you have to take risk. You cannot be consumed
by fear or doubts. Your dreams and ideas may seem out of this world to the
extent that to some people they seem crazy or even impossible. Consider this
the ESA’s mission to the comet was in the works for more than 15 years and it
was only when the Rosetta woke up after two and a half years of hibernation, that
landing the Philae became more than a crazy or impossible idea. Don’t let fear
or doubt or naysayers prevent you from pursuing your crazy or impossible ideas.
As long as you are alive and you continue to believe and pursue your dreams and
idea success will come. Always keep in mind that your crazy or near to
impossible ideas may actually work one day.
5. Success sometimes requires that you be the first
to do it
Your dreams, your ideas may seem crazy or impossible when you
are starting out. Your friends may ask you why bother? They may tell you that
what you are doing not one has ever that done before. Let me tell there is
always a first time and you should be first to attempt it and if you succeed
you will be the first to accomplish it. Being the first may mean it will be incredibly
difficult. You will encounter fear and doubt as you venture into the unknown
and at times feel even helpless or the lack of control. Simply put: If it was
easy, someone else would have been done already.
Philae is the first man made vehicle to land on a comet. I am
confident that the knowledge gained in the short period the Philae operating
will be beneficially to future space exploration.
In your quest to succeed don’t be shy to being first. In 2011,
I took on a difficult assignment in the Kabul, Afghanistan and came away with
intimate knowledge of post-conflict development and financial system.
6. Success sometimes requires us to change course
or targets
Sometimes to be successful we have to change course or choose
a different objective or target. The original target for the Rosetta mission
was the comet Wirtanen. However, the original launch of Rosetta was delayed because
the launch before Rosetta’s failed. Consequently, the ESA’s scientists took
time to review what happened previous to make sure the Rosetta launch would not
fail. That delay made scientists lose the window of opportunity to reach comet
Wirtanen and subsequently selected another target, Comet 67P, one that was
reachable and scientifically interesting.
Consider this at age 19, Mr. Warren Buffett application to
Harvard Business School was rejected. This forced him to explore other options
and to realized that two investing experts he admired, Benjamin Graham and
David Dodd, were teaching at Columbia's graduate business school. He dashed off
a late application, where by a stroke of luck it was fielded and accepted by
Mr. Dodd. Today Mr. Buffet is revered as a billionaire and investment guru
extraordinaire.
When I first moved to Canada as immigrant my dream was to seek
and gain employment in one of our top banks and continue. After thousands of
job applications and hundreds of rejections I change course and set up Mark
McKenzie Consulting, which this year marks eight years of existence. To this I
can count my experience working for various domestic and international agencies
as well as working in more than 20 countries globally. Today my knowledge and
experience covers a diverse segment of the global financial system. In
addition, the benefit of being self-employed in that I am have reason control
of my time to pursue other interests such as coordinating the 2Nd
Annual Holiday Season Food Drive for the benefit of the Salvation Army of
Brampton.
To be successful we don’t always get to choose our path and
very importantly sometimes we have to change course, objectives or targets.
7. There will always be doubters and naysayers
The landing of Philae on the comet after a 310 million mile
journey was a historic and ground-breaking moment in space exploration. Yet Dr.
Matt Taylor, a British physicist who was part of the ESA team behind Rosetta
mission comet landing felt the heat of the feminist movement because of the shirt
he wore during an interview. Please, please…..I am not hear arguing that the
concerns of the feminist movement is insignificant to accomplishments of space
explorer…
Despite
his apologies, a Telegraph writer suggested that Taylor might still “end up
being remembered for is risqué sartorial judgement rather than his scientific acumen.”
The truth is to be successful you will always encounter negativism, doubters
and naysayers. Like fear they are killers of dreams.
Mark
McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation
and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate
trainer and youth mentor. He can be
contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read
my blog http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and
share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com,
Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.
